Nursing bottle nipple



Jan. 22, 1952 ALSTAQT ETAL 2,582,950

NURSING BOTTLE NIPPLE Filed March 2, 1950 2 SHEETS--SHEET l Cs. .m 9",. ATTORNEY.

Jan. 22, 1952 B ALSTADT EAL 2,582,950

NURSING BOTTLE NIPPLE Filed March 2, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTORS. Ben amin Alsfadf 8 BY Hqrold, Sappey ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 22, 1952 OFFICE NURS NG BOTTLE NIPPL Benjamin-:Alstaflt andHarold Sappey, New'York, N. Y;.

Aplglication; March 2, 1950, Serial No. 147,242. 15'0laimsi (Cl. l-2 8i- 2 52).

This i ve or1;v relates: t liquid. feeding. nipple.

constructions, for; example, as used on; infant.

nursing bottles, andmorgpmticularly isdirected to improved nipple constructions, for serving as in natural breastfeeding, to. minimize nervous. tension that generally is. manifested. by a v socalled, colic. condition thereby providing for. an.

improved methodpf infantfeeding.

Among the objects of; the invention; isto, gen, erally improve feeding; nipple: constructions; nd. methods. of infant feeding of' the; character: described, which: constructions. shall comprise fewand. simplepa ts. fanning; rug tructure.

canableof. with andingroueb gew i.c.h:-sna1l.; hei asy and. cheap to: manufacture, which. sha lbepractital non-c llansiblen uee which. sha l; p rate. under: relative y low: suction. conditicnsr which constnuctions and: method shall at. all. tim s duri g. feeding aid; incqntinuously man-- taming. the connection between. the ips.- and nipple, thereby, more closely; approximating naturalbreast feeding; conditions, which shall be; y t een. in. nitary andhygienic comiitiuonr.v

which-shall, be reliable; in operation, which; shall;

fi nta letor efccn ormedto-va io s; y s. offeeding bottles, and; which. shall beeplffictical and eflicienttoa: highdegreeinuse;

Other objects on the; invention. will in part be; obviousv and part hereinaiter pointed out; The invention; accordingly consists of; features of: constructions, combinations; of; elfimfinffidh and; arrans ment f; pantswhicn will: e exemnlifieiii n he. c nstructionshereinafter described and; of: which the: scope; orapnlicatiom w ll. ndicatcsiv inthe: claims,= fi llowing.

n the. a company ng; drawings: in. w ich: are arious pcssible illustrated: mbodiments; of; this invention: v

Fig, l. is. an-.e1erat na1i v ewof. a. l qu d. fee ing; nipple constructed to, embody.- the invention, out along line; l.|; in Fig. 2- to expose; the; in.- terior structure. for showing; one or, the spaced: apart, air passageways, incorporated; in the wall thereof.

Fig. 2 is. a topplan: view of theimproyedinippleshown in Eig, 1, they spacedapant air; passage-v Ways being. shown indash'lines Fig:- 3. is; a. cross sectional; view taken. om line,

out along line- 5-5 in Fig. 4 to show the spaced apart airpassageways having inlet ends terminating at the base edge of-the nipple breast;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevational viewof; an-

other modifiednipple construction having-a base thereof formed to fit a wide mouth type bottle and showing spaced apart air passageways formed as internal ribs for-the nipple structure. Fig. 7" is a front elevational View of a: further modified nipple construction embodyingthe invention partly broken away to expose the positions of the air supplytubeor conduit;

Fig; 8 is a top elevational'view of 'the nipple shown in Fig. '7:

Fig. 91s a cross-sectional view; taken online 9+9. in Fig. 8, through the air supplytube;

Fig; 1'0'is an elevational"viewsimilarto Figs; 1 and 5 cut alongon line III-I0 in Fig. 11 of'still' another modified form 01" nipple construction embodying the invention showin spaced apartair passageways formed as invaginations of the nipplewall having CIOSBQTSIitS extending along' Nipple 20 as seen in Figs. 1 to- 3 may compriseeat or hulboushollow head portion 21: extending: from a. tubular or; sleeve-neck" 22, the latter being: interposed between said teat portion 2l' and; a. hollow base portion-or breast 23; said teat.

portion, 2 neck 22aand breast23, as hereshown being; integrally formed in theconstruction of nipple 2D;

Teat portion; 2] may form a, substantially. hol-.

low hemispherical-shaped structure having one or; more through-openings 21a, to permit flowing liquid from the interior of; teatportion; 21. therethrough, as hereinafter described, and said breast 23 which may be. shouldered as. at, 2.3a. may terminate in a, thickened peripheral rim or head 23b for retaining nipple 20 on; the mouth.

of a. feeding bottle; (not shown) in the well understood manner.

. to extend substantially the length of the teat 3 portion 2|, the neck 22 and the breast 23. Said passageways 24 may each terminate in an inlet end 24b at the bead 23b, that is, just above a plane XX passing through the extreme edge of said bead peripheral rim 23b, and the nipple has an outlet end 24a for each of said passageways 24 terminating at the teat portion 24 just short of the level of through-openings 2|a as is clear from Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Through-openings 2 Ia serve to permit the flow of liquid contents of the feeding bottle through the nipple 20 into a childs mouth in which teat portion 2| of nipple 2D is placed in the well known manner, and passageways 24 provide direct communication of the end of nipple teat portion 2| in the childs mouth with the surrounding air independent of the contents of such nursin: bottle and liquid flow therefrom.

Nipple 20 may be provided with a tab projection or lip 25 integrally formed with head 2311 serving as a finger grasping hand e to facilitate mounting on the conventional rim bead of the nursing bottle in the well understood manner.

After constructing nipple 20 as above described and shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a practical application of the invention may be carried out by simply mounting nipple 20 on a feeding bottle containing a milk form la, water or any other feeding liquid and on inserting said nipple 20 into an infants mouth whereby teat portion 2| having through-openings 2| a and said outlet ends 24a of passage ays 24 are positioned wit in vthe mouth cavity, the infants li'os will close about neck 22 of nipple 20 in position against breast 23 with inlet ends 24b of passageway 24 communicating with the free atmosphere. When suckling by the infant commences the liquid will flow from the bottle in an even stream through openings 2|a simultaneously with atmospheric air flowing through passageways 24 into the mouth cavity. This fiow of air between the atmosphere and mouth cavity is substantially free and unimpeded so that after the completion of each suck there is suificient air supplied to the mouth cavity for replacing the partial vacuum created within the bottle without requiring releasing the connection between the nipple and the lips.

When sufficient liquid flows into the throat to initiate a swallowing reflex, the liquid will pass down the esophagus and any excess air in the mouth cavity will be taken care of through the respiratory system.

In practicing the invention with nipple 20 in maintaining the above described communication of air. between the free atmosphere and the infants mouth cavity during suckling, the infant will be found to take liquid food from a bottle contentedly and in a relaxed mood so as to minimize often present nervous tension to which gastric disturbances and distress are attributed.

A modified form embodying the invention is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 as nipple 30 which is seen to comprise teat portion 3| having a throughopening 3|a and tubular or sleeve-neck 32 similar to teat portion 2| and neck 22 of nipple 20, respectively, said nipple 35 having a dome-shaped breast portion 33 formed with a base wall 33a and provided with a tubular mounting extension 33b.

A peripheral bead 33c terminates tubular extension 33b for mounting and retaining nipple 30 on the conventional rim bead of a nursing bottle (notshown) in the well understood manner.

Said bead 330 may be provided with a conventional finger grip tab 35, if desired.

In nipple 38, as in nipple 20, there may be provided spaced apart elongated air-passageways 34, integrally formed with the wall structure thereof to extend the length of teat portion 3|, neck 32 and breast 33. Said passageways 34 may each terminate in an outet end 34a positioned similar to passageways 24 but terminate in an inlet end 34b at the base edge 33d of breast 33, that is, in the plane YY of the bottom surface 33a of base wall 33a, as shown in Fig. 5.

Another modification embodying the invention is shown in Fig. 6 as nipple 40 which comprises a teat portion 4| formed with through-openings 4|a, tubular or sleeve-neck 42, similar to portions 2|, 3| and necks 22, 32 of nipples 2|] and 30, respectively, and a dome-shaped breast portion 43 of slightly more rounded contour than breast 33. Breast 43 may terminate in an annular flange 43a formed with internal threads 43b for screw mounting nipple 40 on a feeding bottle of the well known wide mouth type (not shown) in the we-l understood manner.

Nipple 40 may also be provided with spaced apart air passageways 44 formed in bracing ribs 440 to extend along the interior of nipple 40 from teat portion 4| to flange 43a, air passageways 44 each terminating in an inlet end 44b at the upper'edge of flange 43a and in an outlet end 44a in the region of through-openings 4|a.

A further modification of the invention in the form of the nipple construction 50 is shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, which may be similar to nipples 3i] and 40 shown inFigs. 5 and 6, and has a teat 5| provided with suitably spaced through-openings 5|a, an integrally formed neck 52 and'breast 53 having breast extension 53a. The latter may be provided on an interior side thereof with a bottle-bead gripping annular groove 53b and if desired with an outwardly extending finger-grip tab 55 as shownin Fig. 9.' However, instead of providing passageways 34c and 440 as in nipples 3|] and 40, respectively, nipple construction 50 may be provided with an interior extending air suppy tube or conduit 54' which passes from said teat 5| through the neck 52 and out through the breast 53, said tube 54 having an outlet end 54a terminating at teat 5| adjacent to said openings 5|a as is shown in Figs. 8 and 9', an inlet end 54b ofsaid tube-54 terminating at the breast 53 Just above extension 5311. v

Still another modified form of air supplying means embodying the invention may include spaced apart passageways 64 in a nipple 60 shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Such passageway construction may also be used in nipples 20', 30 or 40 instead of air passageways 24, 34 or 44, respectively, if desired.

Nipple 60, as here shown, maybe 01' a type for mounting on a widemouth nursing bottle and is seen to comprise a teat portion 6|, a neck 62, breast 63, tubular extensions 63b and outwardly extending flange 630 over which a screw coupling cap (not shown) fits for clamping engagement with the nursing bottle mouth in the well understood manner. Air passageways 64 may each be fashioned as an invagination of exterior nipple" wall 60a to provide: substantially normally closed slits 640 each of which may be extended t he entire length of the said exterior wall GOa from inlet opening end 6412' at base edge 63d'of the breast 63 to outlet opening end 64a adjacent through-opening Sla in teat portion 6|,

to facilitate cleansing of nipple 60 by deforming tieeasts wall 60a along -said .slit 840 as wellas simplifying the manufacture thereof. .However, .said slits 54c maylbe extendedonlypart way along passagewaysM'ifdesired.

"Tube '54 may bemade .of a substantially more rigid material than therest of nipple 50 soas to resist collapse and obstruction of the free flow of air when in use and to also serve as a stiffening means "for nipple-50 thereby preventing collapse of the nipple structure under biting effects and the consequent obstruction of the flow of feeding fluid from the bottle.

The novel improved method of infant feeding providedbytheinvention will now be apparent and is seen'to comprise the steps of feeding a liquidffrom anursingbottle through a nipple by mouth'suction while simultaneously maintaining free communication cof atmospheric air within the mouth cavity, that is, concurrently drawing air from the atmosphere 'outside'the mouth into the region of mouth suction within said cavity.

Nipples 30, "4'9, 50 and 6! will each operate in the same manner as described above fornipple 20 and it.is to be understood that the various modifications of the air passageways may-be utilized in any form of nipple without departing from the scope of the invention. I

It has been found that favorable results are obtained in the modifications shown when through-openings Ma, Ma, 41a, 51a and Gla are of the usual size that is, so-that an intermittent drip of liquid will take place when the bottle is inverted with said nipple opening or openings thereof below the liquid level in the bottle and the air passageways 24, 34, 44, 54, and 64 have a. total effective diameter of about 1mm. Where a plurality of passageways 24, 34, 44 or 64 are providedon a nipple, each passageway having a correspondingly smaller diameter has been found to render satisfactory results.

It isthus seen that there are provided improved liquid feeding nipple constructions in which the objects of the invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet all conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments may be made in the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is understood that all the above matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense but any permissible change must fall within the purview of the claims asserted in this application.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A nursing nipple having a hollow perforated head of the character described comprising an elastic tubular wall structure for drawing a liquid flow from a bottle therethrough, said wall struc--' ture formed with an elongated air conduit completely partitioned from said liquid flow within the nipple communicating an exterior side of said nipple head when within the mouth in suckling position with the atmosphere external the mouth. 2. A nursing nipple of the character described comprising an elastic tubular wall structure terminated by a perforated head for passing a flow of liquid from a bottle therethrough, said wall structure formed with an elongated air conduit having both an inlet and outlet communicating with the exterior of the nipple, said conduit beingf partitioned off from said liquid flow, within the tubular structure, said conduit outlet being located in the region of the perforated head.

73. .nmursing 1 nipple of the character described comprising a tubular wall structure terminated by a perforated headforpassingasflowof liquid from abottle therethrough, .and I an elongated :air condnitcontained withinthanipple having both an inlet and outletcommunicatingwith.theexterior of the nipple, said conduit outlet being located in the region'of the perforatedhead.

.4. An infants nursing nipple -having a rhollow perforatedhead for drawing a liquid flowfrom-a bottle therethrough-comprising a wall structure. an elongated air conduit supported by said wall structure completely partitioned from said liquid flow communicating a region of saidhead'within the infants mouth with theatmosphere external to the-nipple when the latter isin suckling p0- sltion.

5. Anursing nipple of the character described comprising an elastic tubular wall structure terminatedby aperforated sucking head for passing a now of liquid from'a bottle'therethrough, an elongated air conduit extending longitudinally in said wall .structureand having an outlet end in the nipple exterior region of said-perforatedsucking head, said air conduit having an inlet end'cornmunicating the conduit with the exterior of the nipple when said sucking headis in a childs mouth. I

6. .A nursing nipple of the character described comprising. a perforated bulbous hollow teat portion, a tubular neck extending from said teat portion, said neck being interposed between the teat portion and a flexible walled hollow dome shaped breast, and spaced apart air-passageways extending longitudinally of the nipple and through wall portions of said breast, neck and teat portions, said air-passageways each having an inlet on said breast and outlet on said teat portion communicating an exterior side of the nipple teat portion when within the mouth in suckling position with the atmosphere external the mouth.

7. An infant's nursing nipple having a wall structure comprising a perforated bulbous hollow head portion wherethrough a liquid fiow passes, a tubular neck extending from said head portion interposed between the latter and a breast portion, an elongated air conduit supported by said wall structure completely partitioned from said liquid flow communicating a region of said head within the infants mouth with the external atmosphere outside the infant's mouth when said nipple is in suckling position, said air conduit having an inlet end on the breast beyond the infants lip suckling position and an outlet end in the region of said nipple perforated head.

8. The nursing nipple defined in claim 6 including spaced bracing ribs formed on an inner surface of said wall structure through which said air-passageways extend.

9. The nursing nipple defined in claim 6 in which said air-passageways are each formed as an invagination of said wall portions providing a substantially normally closed slit extending longitudinally the air-passageway on the surface of the nipple.

10. The infants nursing nipple defined in claim '7 in which said elongated air conduit has a midportion thereof detached from said wall structure and disposed in the stream of said liquid flow.

11. The infants nursing nipple defined in claim 7 in which said elongated air conduit is formed of a more rigid material than the wall structure and has a midportion thereof detached from the latter forming a collapsing resistant means for said wall structure.

12. The nursing nipple defined in claim 1 in which said air conduit is formed as an invagination of said Wall structure providing a substantially normally closed slit extending longitudinally the conduit on the surface of the nipple.

13. An infants nursing nipple of the character described comprising a tubular wall structure terminated by a perforated head for passing a liquid flow from a bottle therethrough, and an elongated air conduit contained within the nipple having both an inlet and outlet communicating with the exterior of the nipple, said conduit outlet being located in the region of the perforated head within the infant's mouth when in suckling position, said conduit inlet being located exteriorly beyond the infants lip suckling position, said conduit having a midportion thereof detached from said wall structure and disposed in the stream of said liquid flow.

14. A nursing nipple of the character described comprising a perforated bulbous hollow teat portion, a tubular neck extending from said teat portion, said neck being interposed between the teat portion and a flexible walled hollow dome shaped breast, and an elongated air conduit having an inlet end on said breast, said conduit extending through said tubular neck and terminating in an outlet end on said. teat portion.

15. In' an infant's feeding nipple having a perforated bulbous hollow teat portion, an intermediate tubular neck and a dome shaped breast portion, the latter terminating in means for mounting the nipple on the mouth of a feeding bottle to pass liquid flow therefrom into the infants mouth through said nipple when in suckling position, an air conduit communicating an inlet end thereof positioned on the nipple to lie exteriorly of the mouth when in said suckling position with an outlet end thereof positioned in the region of said teat portion within the mouth, said air conduit being partitioned off from said liquid flow through the nipple.

BENJAMIN ALSTADT. HAROLD SAPPEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 11,086 Eggers June 17, 1890 Re. 11,087 Eggers June 17, 1890 210,157 Siebenlist Mar. 19, 1878 380,835 Ware Apr. 10, 1888 609,415 Coulbourn et a1. Aug. 23, 1898 2,005,437 Naum June 18, 1 

